60 from Punjab brought home in Air India flight from New York

An Air India special flight from New York carrying 100 passengers, including 60 residents of Punjab, landed at the Chandigarh international airport Friday afternoon, officials said.

The Air India flight AI-0102 reached Chandigarh via Delhi.

Other than 60 residents of Punjab, the flight carried 12 residents of Haryana, 16 of Himachal Pradesh, 10 of Chandigarh and two of Uttarakhand.

All the returnees will reach their destinations under the supervision of the respective state government representatives, who had set up help desks at the airport, and will be quarantined for 14 days, the officials said.

As soon as they landed here, the passengers were thoroughly examined by government doctors.

The Indians were brought home under the Centre's Vande Bharat mission.

The Centre on Thursday said the mega mission to bring home Indians stranded abroad will continue till June 13 and the extended phase will cover 47 countries. The second phase of the mission was to end on May 22.

As per the government policy, Indians having "compelling reasons" to return like pregnant women, elderly people, students and those facing the prospect of deportation are being brought back home.